Verdict
With Fire TV work up - in from the start and a faster chip , the Amazon Echo Show 21 is a versatile smart show for shared spaces , offering full Alexa control alongside a right TV experience controlled via the bundled remote . It ’s quite expensive , the touch - silver screen smart home control could be easier to get to , and the audio is a little lacklustre , but for overall tractability , it ’s a great choice .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Alexa has leap into the big sentence with the Amazon Echo Show 21 – the enceinte chic exhibit the company has ever made , with a 21 - inch screen .
It ’s not just bigger , it feel more like a complete package . When I review the originalEcho Show 15(itself replace by a second propagation Cartesian product ) , it was bill as the everlasting exhibit for a kitchen , but originally left the question : where ’s the TV ?
This was repair with an update that supply Fire telecasting into the mix , although the user interface was a little laggy and prone to crashing . This time , the Show 21 has Fire television set from the start , even ship with a remote in the box . combine with the dissolute processor , the Show 21 is a genuinely multipurpose gadget for kitchens and even little bedrooms .
It ’s a proper voguish - house hub , too , with Zigbee and Thread build - in , and it works as aMattercontroller , too . It ’s not cheap , but if you ’ve got the space , it is very good .
Design
If you ’ve see the Echo Show 15 ( recently replaced by a new version ) , then the Echo Show 21 is just a handsome version of this . It does , conveniently , use the same mounting square bracket as the smaller version , so if you ’re upgrading , you could take away the honest-to-god one from the wall and neglect the young one into space .
Well , assuming that there ’s nothing to get in the elbow room of the young presentation . I was favourable with my wall bracket position . My Echo Show 15 was mounted close to a bookcase , but there was just enough room to tot up the Echo Show 21 ; if my Show 15 had been 1 atomic number 96 to the left wing , I ’d have had to move the bracket ( the old holes are for when I had theEcho Hub ) .
Wall mounting sits the back of the Echo Show 21 flush with the wall , and the impudent display only protrude slimly further than a normal framed delineation .
While paries mounting with the provided wall bracket is the obvious option , there ’s a received VESA mount at the back of the display , which you may apply to mount the Echo Show 21 on a background stand or a wall mount with an subdivision .
This presentation has a camera in the heart of the cover , which is used for Amazon ’s Visual ID acknowledgement and for video calls . As with other late gadget that have a camera , such as theEcho Show 8(3rd Gen ) , there ’s a strong-arm slider on top that blocks the camera ’s view and physically disconnects it .
There are also control on top for mute , and volume control . They ’re easy to reach by feel alone , although I feel that I did n’t have to use them often .
Features
One of the main divergence between the Echo Show 21 and the original Echo Show 15 , is that there ’s an Amazon Fire TV remote control provided in the loge ; the Echo Show 15 only had Fire TV added to it by and by in lifetime .
It ’s a criterion Bluetooth Fire TV remote control , which can be used to set in motion into the Fire TV experience just by pressing the plate button , without postulate to practice your voice . There are shortcut buttons on it for Prime Video , Amazon Music and Netflix , plus the common navigation , volume and playback controls .
The Fire TV experience is the same here as with a Fire TV Stick , everlasting with full entree to the apps ( every major streaming platform is underpin ) . I find the port fluent and responsive thanks to the Octa - core SoC. In fact , I ’d say that the interface is as antiphonal here as on a Fire TV Stick 4 K Max ; the quondam Echo Show 15 was a picayune chip juddery and slow to respond .
Neatly , the remote can also be used when playing euphony from any source , feed a straightaway style to decamp tracks , pause what ’s playing and adjust the volume .
The Fire TV Stick remote also has a shortcut push to use Alexa , trigger the Bluetooth remote ’s mike . That may voice a touch pointless , as there ’s a monumental sassy exhibit listening out for Alexa commands , but I found it very handy . For example , when watching television receiver , I could apply the remote ’s Alexa push and then lecture quietly ; otherwise , I ’d have to cry “ Alexa ” to be heard over the soundtrack .
The primary Alexa feature of speech are the same here as for any other Echo smart display : you may need for answers to questions , control smart home outfit and ascertain out what the weather will be like , plus a lot more .
I ’m still a big fan of the combination of articulation and on - cover responses . For exercise , demand about the atmospheric condition , and the blind picture how the conditions will change over the coming time of day , plus a preview of the next five day ; ask to assure a voguish gimmick and the concealment has touchscreen controls to have you fine - melodic phrase your option , such as using a slider to set a spark ’s luminosity .
For wise home control , the Echo Show 21 is a full topic comptroller , and can communicate directly with Wi - Fi and Thread devices , plus it has a Zigbee hub for direct control of compatible devices .
Given how far Matter is come along , such as with the launch ofTado X , give a Matter accountant is getting more important , so it ’s good to have everything built in .
This showing can now show video - in - television . I could have a live provender from myRing Pan - Tilt Indoor Camerain a small-scale window , while browsing through other smart devices . Of course , the Echo Show 21 is in full compatible with Ring doorbells , even allow me do an incoming call without give birth to get my earpiece out .
I would care to see the Echo Show 21 take on the Echo Hub ’s interface , though . With the Echo Hub , Amazon build a little ascendance panel designed for the smart house , with shortcut straight on the main pageboy .
Using the Echo Show 21 , controlling a smart twist either requires using your voice first , or going to the Smart Home part , and then selecting the twist that you want to control . For feeling - only control , the Echo Show 21 can be quite a flake slower to use .
There is an option to tally some smart devices to a Widget that shows on the home varlet , alongside the other options , which let in a calendar , weather , annotation and to - do listing . Widgets were one of the prominent success stories of the Echo Show 15 , so it ’s good to see them pass here , peculiarly as the enceinte screen fix them loose to see .
A bit more variety would be good , as would some more flexibility of how they can be placed . Currently , only one heavy widget can be added at the sentence , even though there ’s technically space for three of these ; instead , once you had one large gadget , you may then only add up to six more smaller ones .
Using the camera with Visual ID , the Echo Show 21 can personalise the content demonstrate , such as only showing my calendar when the smart display acknowledge me . It ’s a neat thaumaturgy and turn the Echo Show 21 into a proper shared gadget , which is important given that this smart display is more probable to be located in a shared space , such as a kitchen , than some of the little gadget .
It ’s well deserving break through the options to plow off the bounteous list of things that Amazon tries to show on the display , such as nuggets of information for Finance and Fun with Alexa . These run to be annoying and distracting , as the display constantly update with fresh , often irrelevant , information .
The 13 - megapixel wide of the mark - slant camera is available for video calling , with automatic trailing and zooming keeping you in full focus , even if you move around . I ’ve seen this on other Echo Show devices before , but it work just as well here .
There ’s also the pick for remote wake , so you’re able to see what ’s cash in one’s chips on in your home . There ’s no motion detection or recording , but receive an extra tv camera that you’re able to tap into is always useful .
Sound Quality
Amazon has upgrade the profound system , with two 2 - inch woofers and two 0.6 - column inch tweeters . have stereo system speakers introduces some stereo system legal separation , which can make euphony sound clearer and more defined .
As the speaker system are quite close together you do n’t get the full effect . For example , the startle of Foo Fighter ’s Enough Space should purl around the way , but the Echo Show 21 ca n’t quite resolve that level of point .
The bass voice is good but not overly impressive . Listening to OK Go ’s This Too Shall Pass , the Echo Show 21 does n’t quite hit with the bass voice - heavy opening .
There ’s also a clear-cut division between bass part , mid - range and the high - terminal , and there ’s not a tranquil crossover . At higher volume , there ’s a mediocre bit of distorted shape and the mellow - remainder can fathom a flake rough .
For general listening , podcasts or a scrap of radio , the Echo Show 21 is n’t bad , but the Echo Show 10 is a superscript music player .
Sound quality for films and TVs is unspoilt enough . A full surround sound system does well , but there ’s enough volume and lucidity here that the Show 21 can easy double - up as a small goggle box .
Video Quality
Although there ’s a larger concealment than ever before , the Echo Show 21 has a Full HD ( 1920 x 1080 ) resoluteness , the same as the Echo Show 15 . At typical viewing distances , the display looks sharp and there ’s no clear loss in detail or balminess from the lower pixel denseness here , compare to the Echo Show 15 .
It ’s a glossy presentation , although I found it did well dealing with reflexion from overhead lights . HDR is n’t bear , but blacks are nice , and colour are plentiful and vibrant enough . This cover is good overall , crop well for on - screen data and control , as well as for video .
If you do n’t have much space and need an all - in - one twist , then the Echo Show 21 works well as a small Fire television set equipment .
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Should you buy it?
Part Amazon Alexa and part Fire television receiver , this fresh presentation is a versatile smart equipment for shared space .
If you just want a gadget for smart updates and voguish home control , the cheaper and more focused Echo Hub is a skillful alternative .
Final Thoughts
A more utilitarian equipment than theEcho Show 15 , the Echo Show 21 is a utile multi - purpose gimmick : a full Echo Show , a smart home accountant and a right modest TV .
It ’s jolly expensive and is n’t the best for euphony , but if you ’ve suffer a quad that you want a small telecasting in and like the thought of smart restraint as well , it ’s a flexile option .
If you already have a TV in a share space and want a more focused gimmick for smart home control , grease one’s palms the cheaperEcho Hubinstead .
Trusted Score
How we test
Unlike other situation , we test every bright speaker we review thoroughly over an lengthened flow of sentence . We use industry received mental test to liken feature article properly . We ’ll always say you what we ascertain . We never , ever , take money to review a product .
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FAQs
Mostly : you’re able to use Fire television set and its apps to stream content , but there ’s no boob tube radio .
No , you may mount it on a desk if you corrupt the optional base .
